You ever notice how you can say the most insulting, hurtful things to a dog but as long as you use your silly, schmoopsy, goo-goo voice the dog will contentedly wag his tail? We humans are no different.

I remember back when I was in my cranky teenage boy years I would periodically have “discussions” with my parents. Most likely they were full blown arguments, but I don’t recall them that way. Or at least not as intense as they probably were.

For some reason, around age 16-17, almost everything irritated me. I’m sure it was a combination of angst, hormones, confusion, and the move towards independence. Bless my parents for being as patient as I now know they most definitely were.

But what I remember most was when my mother would respond to one of my outbursts with the mother of all parental comebacks, “I don’t like your tone young man.”

To which I, and I think you know where I’m going here, would reply…wait for it…

“What tone?!”

Ah, irony.

There is a good lesson to learn from this week’s fortune: Say what you mean, without saying it mean. No one likes to be barked at.

To your good fortune!